Sensors are commonly used in different systems and across multiple technologies. An image sensor is one example. This sensor type has been adopted in vehicles to support different missions. For instance, certain unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) integrate one or more image sensors to detect and avoid obstacles.
A common use of an image sensor of a vehicle is for supporting a mission of the vehicle by capturing images of an external environment. This use exposes the image sensor to elements of the environment. To extend the lifetime and improve the sensitivity of the image sensor, the image sensor is generally protected with a cover that is transparent relative to the operational light wavelength. However, contamination from the external environment may nonetheless occur. For example, debris, dust, dirt, mud, water, ice, and/or contaminations may accumulate on the cover. Such contaminations may impact the transparency of the cover and, thus, may obstruct, partially or fully, the external environment relative to the image sensor. Therefore, the quality of the images may degrade, which may in turn jeopardize the vehicle's mission.